1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to table and chair assemblies and multiple purpose devices that attach to vehicle trailer hitches. In particular, the present invention relates to a portable picnic table that attaches to a trailer hitch of a vehicle for use at tailgate parties and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
An activity that has become quite popular in recent years is the gathering of sports fans and spectators in parking lots and along roadsides to eat, drink and socialize prior to a sporting event. This activity has become known as "tailgate parties" and is particularly common at football games. Tailgate parties typically occur in the parking lots of sports arenas where dining tables are not available. Sports fans and spectators often bring food and beverages that are not available inside the sporting arenas and sit on their tailgates or car trunks to dine and socialize.
Tailgate parties normally take place in or around the vehicles of the participants. Some sports fans bring portable picnic tables and chairs in their vehicles to use at the parties, while others simply sit on their vehicles. It is also common for picnics similar to tailgate parties to be enjoyed in various remote areas, such as in parking lots of amusement parks, national forests, public picnic grounds, roadside parks, and the like.
Table and chair assemblies have been developed specifically for use at tailgate parties, picnics and the like. A typical tailgate table and chair assembly is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,741 issued to Thomas J. Anderson ("the '741 patent"). The '741 patent provides a vehicle-mounted table and chair assembly that mounts to the towing hitch of a vehicle and forms a table and seating device suitable for tailgate parties, camping, and the like. However, the table and chair assembly disclosed in the '741 patent suffers from a number of disadvantages. For example, the table and chair assembly of the '741 patent seats only two people, extends rearwardly from the vehicle a great distance, is difficult and cumbersome to place in a retracted or stowed position for transport, places a great deal of stress on the vehicle hitch during use, and is relatively uncomfortable to sit at due to its lack of foot room.
Other tables designed for tailgate parties are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,136,953 and Des. 389,452. These tables do not include seating arrangements and are not designed for attaching to a trailer hitch of a vehicle. Thus, these tables are relatively inconvenient to use at tailgate parties.
Other devices are known in the prior art that are designed to mount on a trailer hitch mount of a vehicle. These devices include, for example, a work table apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,147, a multipurpose holding or carrying device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,639, truck bed extenders disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,615,813, 5,752,636, and 5,678,743, and various cargo carrier platforms disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,796,333, 4,906,015, and 5,368,209.